March '08 TOTM: Krambo
03-28-2008 | 10:30 PM
#1
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2nd fastest 5.3 ECSB
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From: NorCal
March '08 TOTM: Krambo
Krambo
I have long been a fan of the functionality and looks of GM trucks and growing up in a family of muscle car owners; naturally a truck that fits both performance and function was a must. I had a 99 ECSB Silvy with some modest bolt-ons however once I saw the styling and functionality of the 2003 SSS, I was hooked. I took delivery of a black 03 Silverado SS on 4/18/03 while trading in my beloved nicely modified 99 NBS ECSB.
I prized the styling and overall creature comforts of the SSS but soon realized the performance left a lot to be desired after a 15.3 @ 87 on the local drag strip was the best I could muster after brake-in. I figured some bolt-ons would hold me until I figure out my ultimate plans. A K&N CAI, 160° Thermostat, Flowmaster cat-back and some tuning got me into the 14’s when I concluded that I sought a truck that could compete with the hopped up imports, the sports cars and those pesky Lightings. Supercharging was the clear answer for my goals however since I already started the bolt-on campaign I shot for the 13’s N/A, With a small blower friendly cam, valve springs, titanium retainers, locks, 3000 stall Yank converter, under drive pulleys, FAL electric fans, and a full true dual exhaust including ASM headers, the truck finally broke into the 13’s N/A. Now that I had a goal in mind, the Radix was the obvious choice. The intercooled MP112 on a LQ9 was ideal for me in that I would no doubt do everything in my power to squeeze every last pony out of it meaning the MP112 itself will be my power limiting factor. The low end of the Radix combined with the AWD seemed to be a formidable street machine that I could daily drive with ease. As I saved for the Radix, I did some cosmetic treatments along the way keeping cost to a minimum. Black powder coated stock wheels, Red epoxy painted calipers, tint, *******’s Speedstur bed cover, Shopman SS Bowtie, Silverstar bulbs and purchased HPTuners in lieu of the EFI Live and SL1 Edit I have been working with.
I finally purchased the Radix and installed it with the 2.9” pulley. Working with several tuners and myself, I got the truck to do a 12.8 @ 107. I was satisfied with the results however knew there was a lot left on the table. Since the truck was running well I turned my focus to some cosmetics and add-ons. I needed tires at this point and have been looking at the BFG KDWs and just so happened that a forum member was selling his wheels with KDW tires already mounted. I purchased the 20” Konig No Road wheels with the KDWs and did a brake upgrade as well. Pro-stop slotted and cross drilled rotors, Hawk pads and ATE fluid gave the truck the little bit of extra stopping power I needed without breaking the bank. A Goodmark cowl hood, supercharged emblems and a BSER roll pan were added to create the final subtle yet aggressive look.
Monitoring fuel pressure and boost was next on my list so naturally some Autometer phantom electric gauges were in order. Carrying the laptop was not practical for daily driving so I did a custom installed Aeroforce scan gauge in the overhead console for quick monitoring. At this time I also installed a PCM controlled E-fan harness and rigged a manual override switch on the dash.
Crank shaft pulley pinning, a 2.8” Radix pulley, larger HX, custom CAI, a much needed Finish Line Transmissions level V 4L65E, a Yank TT2600 torque converter, 90mm LS2 TB and numerous dyno tuning sessions net a 12.5 @ 108. Shortly after that run, the Yank 2600 exploded and took out the tranny pump. I spent the fall installing a freshened FLT level V, a Performance Industries Vigilante 2600 stall 3 disk lock-up converter, Snow Performance methanol injection system (50/50mix) and tweaked the tune, yet again. Further reinforcements involved 90mm idlers, rear bearing cap studs and T/A girdle. I ventured to the local track and did a 12.2 @ 109 with a conservative rich tune.
I added a true dual 3” exhaust set-up with high flow cats, X pipe and dual 3”x18” Magnaflow mufflers, logged and tuned all winter and made a trip to the track 4 months later. Spinning all four off the line bad, I ran a 12.020 @ 111 and when the all season radials finally hooked, I posted an 11.95 @ 112. The only weight reductions were no spare and tailgate. That run capped off a very rewarding build and gave me a truck that accelerates faster than most sports cars.
Well, I felt I could press the set-up a little further with 4 drag radials, further tuning and no bed cover. I tweaked all summer experimenting with TCC lock-ups, shift points, spark advance, AFR (methanol concentration), TM, launch techniques and minor add-ons such as new plug wires larger air filter and TR-6’s. The hard work paid off with an 11.85 @ 112 and a best of an 11.72 @ 114 two weeks later. Best 60ft time to date is a1.61!
Thank you for the nomination for PT.net TOTM as it is an honor to be mentioned among the trucks that have inspired me to take my truck to the next level. Because of this site and the sponsors, the future brings a new motor, a new power adder, and new performance goals and of course lots of posts on this site to make it happen! Stay tuned!
I have long been a fan of the functionality and looks of GM trucks and growing up in a family of muscle car owners; naturally a truck that fits both performance and function was a must. I had a 99 ECSB Silvy with some modest bolt-ons however once I saw the styling and functionality of the 2003 SSS, I was hooked. I took delivery of a black 03 Silverado SS on 4/18/03 while trading in my beloved nicely modified 99 NBS ECSB.
I prized the styling and overall creature comforts of the SSS but soon realized the performance left a lot to be desired after a 15.3 @ 87 on the local drag strip was the best I could muster after brake-in. I figured some bolt-ons would hold me until I figure out my ultimate plans. A K&N CAI, 160° Thermostat, Flowmaster cat-back and some tuning got me into the 14’s when I concluded that I sought a truck that could compete with the hopped up imports, the sports cars and those pesky Lightings. Supercharging was the clear answer for my goals however since I already started the bolt-on campaign I shot for the 13’s N/A, With a small blower friendly cam, valve springs, titanium retainers, locks, 3000 stall Yank converter, under drive pulleys, FAL electric fans, and a full true dual exhaust including ASM headers, the truck finally broke into the 13’s N/A. Now that I had a goal in mind, the Radix was the obvious choice. The intercooled MP112 on a LQ9 was ideal for me in that I would no doubt do everything in my power to squeeze every last pony out of it meaning the MP112 itself will be my power limiting factor. The low end of the Radix combined with the AWD seemed to be a formidable street machine that I could daily drive with ease. As I saved for the Radix, I did some cosmetic treatments along the way keeping cost to a minimum. Black powder coated stock wheels, Red epoxy painted calipers, tint, *******’s Speedstur bed cover, Shopman SS Bowtie, Silverstar bulbs and purchased HPTuners in lieu of the EFI Live and SL1 Edit I have been working with.
I finally purchased the Radix and installed it with the 2.9” pulley. Working with several tuners and myself, I got the truck to do a 12.8 @ 107. I was satisfied with the results however knew there was a lot left on the table. Since the truck was running well I turned my focus to some cosmetics and add-ons. I needed tires at this point and have been looking at the BFG KDWs and just so happened that a forum member was selling his wheels with KDW tires already mounted. I purchased the 20” Konig No Road wheels with the KDWs and did a brake upgrade as well. Pro-stop slotted and cross drilled rotors, Hawk pads and ATE fluid gave the truck the little bit of extra stopping power I needed without breaking the bank. A Goodmark cowl hood, supercharged emblems and a BSER roll pan were added to create the final subtle yet aggressive look.
Monitoring fuel pressure and boost was next on my list so naturally some Autometer phantom electric gauges were in order. Carrying the laptop was not practical for daily driving so I did a custom installed Aeroforce scan gauge in the overhead console for quick monitoring. At this time I also installed a PCM controlled E-fan harness and rigged a manual override switch on the dash.
Crank shaft pulley pinning, a 2.8” Radix pulley, larger HX, custom CAI, a much needed Finish Line Transmissions level V 4L65E, a Yank TT2600 torque converter, 90mm LS2 TB and numerous dyno tuning sessions net a 12.5 @ 108. Shortly after that run, the Yank 2600 exploded and took out the tranny pump. I spent the fall installing a freshened FLT level V, a Performance Industries Vigilante 2600 stall 3 disk lock-up converter, Snow Performance methanol injection system (50/50mix) and tweaked the tune, yet again. Further reinforcements involved 90mm idlers, rear bearing cap studs and T/A girdle. I ventured to the local track and did a 12.2 @ 109 with a conservative rich tune.
I added a true dual 3” exhaust set-up with high flow cats, X pipe and dual 3”x18” Magnaflow mufflers, logged and tuned all winter and made a trip to the track 4 months later. Spinning all four off the line bad, I ran a 12.020 @ 111 and when the all season radials finally hooked, I posted an 11.95 @ 112. The only weight reductions were no spare and tailgate. That run capped off a very rewarding build and gave me a truck that accelerates faster than most sports cars.
Well, I felt I could press the set-up a little further with 4 drag radials, further tuning and no bed cover. I tweaked all summer experimenting with TCC lock-ups, shift points, spark advance, AFR (methanol concentration), TM, launch techniques and minor add-ons such as new plug wires larger air filter and TR-6’s. The hard work paid off with an 11.85 @ 112 and a best of an 11.72 @ 114 two weeks later. Best 60ft time to date is a1.61!
Thank you for the nomination for PT.net TOTM as it is an honor to be mentioned among the trucks that have inspired me to take my truck to the next level. Because of this site and the sponsors, the future brings a new motor, a new power adder, and new performance goals and of course lots of posts on this site to make it happen! Stay tuned!
